🎙️ What animation principles are non-negotiable when working on slot games where clarity and timing directly affect player experience?

💬 Assuming this is not about the 12 principles of animation, clarity and player guidance are critical. Anticipation and leading the eye of the player should be considered. Trail animations help the player where to look and understand what’s happening. 

Anticipation across symbols, reels or UI elements signals that something meaningful is about to occur will help the player notice that something is about to happen. I like squinting my eyes as I simulate the gameplay. Does it read well even when everything’s a blur?

🎙️ How does thinking differ when animating for gameplay systems versus character performance in 3D shows/film?

💬 In game development, optimisation is always at the front of mind.I think about 3 things. First, I am cautious of the amount of images I’m using because the whole game has a size limit and the game data has to load as quickly as it can. Second, I keyframe intentionally. Unnecessary keyframes can blow up the JSON file. The graph editor is my favourite tool to clean up my curves. Third, too many alternating blend modes and masks can lag the game’s frame rate so I try to stack them as much as I can without disrupting the visuals. I limit my blend modes between normals and additives to help the engine render the animation faster. 

When it comes to character performance in 3D shows/films, all you need to worry about are the visuals. Having a great silhouette, key poses, motion curves, body mechanics, emotions, etc. While these are just as important in game dev animation, the animator doesn’t have to worry about optimising the animation because it’s all going to end up in a video format.

🎙️ What process is followed to translate static art into animations that feel responsive and alive in-game? 

💬 Personally, I take my time to brainstorm how I would approach the animation because there are factors to consider – such as the world of the game. The visual effects should make sense in the world, however, your creative license is still acceptable. Look up some inspiration before diving into the task and make sure it serves the gameplay.

🎙️  Where do most animations fail in slot games, and what fixes usually make the biggest difference?

💬 When low-paying symbols feel more rewarding than the high-paying ones. When big wins feel tame and not exciting. When all symbols have a land animation when it should only be on a special symbol that needs to be noticed by the player. Every single animation should serve the gameplay and have a purpose. Asking for additional nice-to-have animations will not serve the production and will only add visual noise to the game. It will cram the animators and give them less time to work on the important ones. It will also eat up time from the devs implementing it and QAs checking it.

🎙️ How does experience across multiple roles in the pipeline influence animation decisions today?

💬 Understanding the full production pipeline is a significant advantage.I have become aware of the limitations of each department and know where I can maximise things. Even if it’s not in your role, it will be in your benefit to learn a little bit of how they do things next to your pipeline. As a game animator, devs take our work and implement it. Understanding how they code things will help you set up your animation the best way.

🎙️ What techniques help maintain consistency in animation style across different features and game states?

💬 Consistency is driven by collaboration and reuse. This is more on coordination with your animator colleagues working in the same game. Reuse what you can – looping FX, characters that are already rigged and animated, etc. That way the animation style can be consistent and speeds up the production. It also helps to compare notes with your colleagues.

🎙️  Are there any personal rules or checks applied before considering an animation “done”?

💬 The devil is in the details, the final 10% that really polishes the animation. Don’t forget to add some overlapping and follow-through actions. The hair, the fingers. Give them some love! And if there’s still a way to add some 3D feel to it using scale animation. And of course, optimization.

Another important aspect is if the animation is implementation-ready. If you use animation tracks, make sure they’re all gonna play together flawlessly. Fool-proof your work before sending it over to the devs.

🎙️  Are any AI or automation tools part of the animation workflow, and how do they impact efficiency or creativity?

💬 Yes, AI can help assist your animation but it won’t do all of the work for you because you still have to break it down, convert it to spine, and optimise it. I like it when it does coin and gem turnarounds because it reacts to light. I don’t have to remodel it in Blender, set up light, then render in Cycles. In character animation, it can help you render a different angle of a head, mouth, new hand pose, or even a whole character pose from what the 2D artist initially gave you. At the end of the day, your taste in your execution is what matters. Your creativity with how you mash it up together will come out so human creativity is still necessary.

🎙️  What should aspiring animators focus on if they want to stand out in the iGaming industry?

💬 Use those graph editors and polish your curves. Personally, linear animations are jarring to watch unless it’s the intended direction. Focus on finding clever ways to rig and animate in Spine. Be inventive and try something you’ve never done before. Your work won’t be seen if you don’t put it out there so share it to the world! Share it on LinkedIn where the spread is exponential. You don’t know who’s watching.

🎙️  What is the perspective on iGamity as a creative-first platform supporting animators and strengthening the iGaming creative ecosystem?

💬 I appreciate iGamity’s initiative on showcasing and reviewing the creative side of slot games. It puts a spotlight on the creative people behind it, learning about their fresh perspective as the industry evolves. It’s a great resource for professionals who want to get into the slot industry or just improve on their work. I always like to read reviews of the animation of a game I worked on so we have iGamity to look for such things.